Better storytelling for everything.novels.

Story Consulting is ideal for specific elements you want to explore: a character arc, a plot problem, worldbuilding, or for projects that aren't a traditional manuscript. Manuscript Assessment is a high-level evaluation of a completed draft. Developmental Editing is the most detailed option with in-manuscript commenting. Not sure? Get in touch and we'll figure it out together.

Novels, novellas, short fiction, game narratives (branching dialogue, world bibles, quest design), unfiction, interactive fiction, scripts, LitRPG, and anything else that tells a story.

If you think your story would benefit from another pair of eyes, we'll find a way to make it work.

Yes. Payment plans are available for Manuscript Assessment (2, 4 or 6 fortnightly instalments) and Developmental Editing (4, 6 or 8 fortnightly instalments). Story Consulting is a flat fee of $330 AUD.

Absolutely. I offer a free 15-minute video call for all services so you can introduce your project, goals and concerns before we begin. This is optional but highly recommended to get the most out of your service.

I'm based in Australia but work with writers worldwide. All sessions are run over video call. If none of the timeslots I have available work in your timezone, we'll find a window that works for both of us.

This depends on the complexity of your project, but typically we'll focus on one or two core areas (such as structure, character, or tension) to ensure the discussion is detailed and useful. If you find consulting useful and you want to cover more, you can always book more sessions.

You can submit excerpts, a synopsis, chapter and plot outlines, query materials, notes, voice notes, videos, demos... pretty much anything. If you're unsure, you can reach out to me. If word count isn't a great representation of your material, let me know and I can help you figure out how much to send through.

If you think it's critical for me to have even more information, more material can be sent for an additional cost. Reach out for more information.

They are focused and practical, capturing the most important points from my analysis and our session, rather than providing a full manuscript-level report. It's meant to be a quick reference to help nudge your creativity while you revise your project, not a comprehensive guide or checklist.

I focus on the potential of a story; what's working, what could be stronger, and how to develop it into the best version of what it could be. 'Good' and 'bad' aren't generally very helpful labels for something that's expressing your creativity. If target audience appeal (how likely people are to like it) is a concern of yours, analysing how your work fits into the market can be part of my analysis, depending on the scope of other elements you want to explore.

Novels, scripts, games, experimental or cross-media storytelling... anything, really. If your project tells a story, it's suitable for this service. If I don't think I can add any value to your project, I'll tell you with no charge for the materials reviewed.

If your project would benefit from a full, comprehensive analysis, a Manuscript Assessment or Developmental Editing may be a better fit.

A detailed editorial letter, usually at least six pages, based on a close read of your whole manuscript. I look at how the big structural pieces fit together (structure, pacing, character, tension, theme, worldbuilding and so on), and set out what's working, what's not, and why. The goal is to give you a clear strategy of what to work on next. There's an optional call afterwards if you want to talk any of it through.

Both are thorough reads that evaluate all of the big elements: structure, pacing, character, worldbuilding, whether the story is doing what you want it to, etc.

A Manuscript Assessment only provides an editorial letter, while Developmental Editing also has comments written throughout the manuscript so you can see how the feedback applies to exact points on the page. An assessment is usually enough if you just want big-picture direction, but if you want detailed advice on revising your story structure closely, Developmental Editing is the choice.

It depends on the length of your manuscript and how much is booked in at the time, but I aim to get your manuscript back to you within two to four weeks, and you'll have a confirmed delivery date before you commit. If you're working to a deadline, tell me early and I'll let you know whether it's doable.

It can, though not directly. An assessment will give you an honest evaluation on where the manuscript is strong and where it still needs work. Most people get an assessment to guide their revision to get the book into the best shape they can before they start submitting.

Yes! If there's something you already know you're worried about, let me know when you book and I'll pay particular attention to it. I'll still read and report on the whole manuscript, but I can weight things towards what matters most to you. You know better than anybody what you want your story to feel like, so if there's something you already know isn't working, that gives us a great point to start.

Completely. Everything you send stays between us. It's never shared, never published, and never put into any AI tool. Your work and your ideas are yours, and they stay that way.

Ideally, yes. An assessment works best on a complete draft, because a lot of what I'm looking at is how the whole thing holds together from beginning to end. If your manuscript is still in progress, or you're earlier in the process, Story Consulting is usually the better fit, since it's built for work that's still taking shape.

Yes, especially if you're going it alone. Self-publishing means there's no agent or publisher giving the manuscript an editorial read, so an assessment is a way to get that honest outside perspective before you release it. I'll tell you where the story is working and where it still needs attention. Just remember it's structural feedback rather than a final proofread, so it sits earlier in the process than copyediting or formatting.

Once you've revised your complete draft as much as you can, but can feel something isn't working. Maybe beta readers or agents and publishers are giving feedback about structural issues, or the story just isn't landing the way you want it to. A developmental edit is where we work out exactly what's missing from your story and why. You can also use a developmental edit to make your manuscript the best version of itself that it could be.

Once you have a complete draft and you've revised it as far as you can on your own. A developmental edit works best on a manuscript you've already taken seriously; self-editing and beta readers/critique feedback beforehand will improve your story first, and the better shape the draft is in when I get it, the higher-level the feedback can be. When you book, it helps to tell me a bit about what you're going for: your goals, your target audience, and anything you think isn't working. If you're several drafts in and still feel something fundamental is off, that's usually a good sign it's time.

Both are thorough reads that evaluate all of the big elements: structure, pacing, character, worldbuilding, whether the story is doing what you want it to, etc.

A Manuscript Assessment only provides an editorial letter, while Developmental Editing also has comments written throughout the manuscript so you can see how the feedback applies to exact points on the page. An assessment is usually enough if you just want big-picture direction, but if you want detailed advice on revising your story structure closely, Developmental Editing is the choice.

You get comments and tracked changes throughout the manuscript itself, pointing out specific points of strengths and weaknesses, alongside a separate, detailed editorial letter that covers each major element of the story and my overall thoughts. Once you've had time to read through everything, there's an optional follow-up call to answer any questions and talk through how to tackle the revision.

No, keeping your voice intact is the whole point. A developmental edit works through comments and suggestions on your manuscript, so every change is yours to make or ignore. My job is to help you tell your story more clearly and effectively, not to change it into something else. If anything, the aim is to get more of your voice onto the page, not less.

It depends on the length and complexity of the manuscript, but I usually aim for around four to eight weeks, and you'll have a confirmed delivery date before you commit. If you're working to a deadline, let me know early and I'll be honest about what's realistic.

Revision, mostly. The edit gives you a clear picture of what to change and why, then the work of revising the manuscript is yours. Once your revisions are done, the manuscript is usually ready for copyediting.

No. AI tools can give generic structural advice, and some can flag obvious things like length or some pacing problems, but they can't feel a story like a person can. They can't tell you why an ending doesn't feel earned, read the emotional layers of a scene, or tell the difference between a genre expectation you're breaking on purpose and one you've broken by accident. AI tools lack the nuance to improve your story in the unique way it needs, and can't care about your work the way a real editor will.

I never put your manuscript into an AI tool, and the reading, thinking, and suggestions are always my own.